CHAPTER XX.

BATTLE OF MARENGO--DEATH OF DESAIX--SAID TO HAVE BEEN ASSASSINATED--NAPOLEON’S LOVE FOR HIM--SOUP KITCHENS AT PARIS--LAVISH EXPENDITURE OF NAPOLEON’S GENERALS.

There was very little caricature of Napoleon in the year 1800, for the best of reasons, that we had very little to do with him, as he was occupied till May in settling his Government, and then he left for his Italian campaign. But in this year (May 12) Gillray issued a series of eight plates, ‘Democracy, or a Sketch of the life of Buonaparte,’ of which I have already given three--‘Democratic Innocence,’ ‘Democratic Humility,’ and ‘Democratic Religion.’ As four are not very interesting, I have not given them, only the last of the series, which, evidently, was meant to be extended.

Combe, even, had very little to say of this time, lightly touching the passage of the Alps, the occupation of Milan and Pavia, the defeat of the Austrians at Montebello, and the battle of Marengo, where he makes an assertion I cannot find elsewhere, nor trace to any French source, except De Bourrienne.

Soon after this the gallant fellow The Austrians drove from Montebello, And then did he, with all his men go, To aid the battle of Marengo; Here was indeed a bold resistance, Brave Boney saw it at a distance: And at this time, it is not doubted, Nap’s army was completely routed; Indeed, it grieves the muse to say, Our hero cried, and ran away; But brave Desaix, who was not idle, His horse soon grappled by the bridle, And turning round the Consul’s phiz, He said, while anger ruffled his, ‘Citizen Consul, look before ye-- That is the road to fame and glory. Nap bit his lip, and swore by heaven, Th’ offence was not to be forgiven; Indeed, as many understand, That hour the Gen’ral’s fall he plann’d. By Victor and Desaix defeated, The Austrians in their turn retreated. This Victor, who destruction hurl’d Made always a great noise in the world, For he had been a drummer, so The way to _beat_ he’d cause to know. But, while victorious, now we find Desaix received a shot behind, His Aid-du-camp was bribed to do it, And well, too, the First Consul knew it; Besides the shot, a base attack! He got a stab, too, in the back; He fell, and instantly expir’d-- His death by Boney was desired: Yet when they told him he was dead, ‘Why can’t I weep?’ he faintly said.

This scandalous accusation is too contemptible to be thought true for a moment; but I must reproduce it, to show what was said of Napoleon in England. Yet, in a portion of it, there is a small substratum of truth. Hear what De Bourrienne says: ‘The death of Desaix was not perceived at the moment it took place. He fell without saying a word, at a little distance from Lefebvre-Desnouettes. A battalion-sergeant of the ninth brigade of light infantry, commanded by Barrois, seeing him extended on the ground, asked permission to pick up his cap. It was found to be perforated behind; and this circumstance leaves it doubtful whether Desaix was killed by some unlucky inadvertency while advancing at the head of his troops, or by the enemy when turning towards his men to encourage them.’

Other accounts speak of his being shot in the breast.

How Napoleon loved Desaix, is best told by them who knew him well, and let them bear witness against this gross calumny. De Bourrienne says: ‘After supper, the First Consul dictated to me the bulletin of the battle. When we were alone, I said to him, “General, here’s a fine victory. You recollect what you said the other day, about the pleasure with which you would return to France after striking a grand blow in Italy: surely you must be satisfied now?”--“Yes, Bourrienne, I am satisfied. But Desaix!... Ah, what a triumph would this have been if I could have embraced him to-night on the field of battle!” As he uttered these words, I saw that Bonaparte was on the point of shedding tears, so sincere and profound was his grief for the death of Desaix. He certainly never loved, esteemed or regretted, any man so much.’

O’Meara writes: ‘Asked him if it were true that Desaix had, a little before his death, sent a message of the following purport to him: “Tell the First Consul that I regret dying before I have done sufficient to make my name known to posterity.” Napoleon replied, “it was true,” and accompanied it with some warm eulogiums on Desaix.’

As a matter of fact Napoleon could not sufficiently honour the memory of his comrade, so highly did he estimate him. He spoke, in his bulletins, of the irreparable loss his death caused him; he took for his own aides-de-camp, Rapp, and Savary, who had acted in this capacity to Desaix. A medal was struck in his honour, his statue should have been erected on the Place des Victoires, solemn ceremonies were ordered, masses were said, and a monument was raised, by subscription, on the Place Dauphine, Paris.

It is amusing to read in the newspapers of the day (with the exception of the ‘Times’) the spiteful things said against Napoleon. But Cobbett, in the ‘Porcupine,’ outdoes them all, and spits his venom on the most harmless deeds. ‘The late establishment of Soup shops in Paris, naturally excites some curious ideas. Madame Bonaparte, their patroness, who is also a sprig of nobility, seems in no small degree attached to the ancient regimen; hence probably her wish to revive soup meagre, frogs, &c. Nor is it less remarkable that the French should wish to establish soup shops, just at the time when they were falling into disuse in this country.’[54] ‘The _Morning Post_ tells us that “the Chief Consul has taken a thousand subscription tickets for the _soup establishments_ at Paris.” This is at once a proof of that _plenty_ which we have been told exists in France, and of the Charity of the Chief Consul. If ever there was a country more degraded than all others, it is France. Should there be, amongst the people of that country, one man left, who entertains antient notions, what must be his mortification and shame to see his countrymen not only ruled, but actually fed like paupers, by a low bred upstart from the contemptible island of Corsica! And this, ye gods! is the _Grand Nation_! This is the nation who is to change the public law of Europe! This is the nation to whom Britons are requested to bow down their heads! To return to the “_soup establishments_,” we should be glad to know how the Corsican came by the money to purchase a thousand tickets. Was it part of the dower which Barras gave him with his bride? We rather think he wrung it from the hands of the sovereign people. What a base, what a despicable, race of slaves! They submit to assessments, forced loans, requisitions, and confiscations; they see their treasure seized on by millions upon millions, and they applaud the “_charity_ and _generosity_” of the plunderer in chief, because he bestows on them the fractions in soup maigre!‘[55]

Cobbett did not write with ink, but with gall, and was not at all particular as to the veracity of his statements. Take the following examples:[56] ‘_Lucien Buonaparte_ is holden in detestation in France. His office, as Minister of the Interior, gives him the command of very large sums, which he wastes in every kind of dissipation, and in the most scandalous manner, in order, forsooth! to support his rank as a _Prince of the Blood_!!! He is protected by the whole power of his brother, whose _vanity_, the leading _foible_ in his character, leads him to confer on the members of his family, all the advantages and prerogatives of Sovereign princes. This conduct has rendered him the object of incessant ridicule, and considerably diminished his popularity.

‘Another species of evil peculiar to a corrupt military government, prevails in a very great degree, and has become particularly offensive to the French, viz. the influence and insolence of generals.

‘All the generals attached to Buonaparte, those who supported him in his usurpation, and those who were with him in Egypt, bear an exact resemblance to the minions and favourites of the Roman Emperors. These men have the public treasure almost entirely at their disposal. General Lasnes, one of the Consul’s chief friends, spends the enormous sum of _five hundred thousand livres_ (upwards of twenty thousand guineas!!!) a month, at Paris, where he and his aids de camp occupy one of the most magnificent _hotels_ in that capital. Buonaparte, not being able to supply his favourites with sufficient specie for defraying their unbounded expences, grants them _congées d’exportation_, i.e. an exclusive permission to export various articles the exportation of which is prohibited by law; these _congées_ are sold to mercantile men, who purchase them at a very high price.’

‘To the facts, which we stated on Monday, respecting the prodigality of Buonaparte and his creatures, we may add the instance of General Ney. This Republican Bashaw has fixed his head-quarters at Neubourg, at the expence of which place, his table is furnished at the rate of _ninety pounds sterling a day_! The French have a proverb, the truth of which they and their neighbours now experience to their sorrow: “Il vaut mieux qu’une cité soit brûlée, q’un parvenu la gouverne”--A city had better be burnt to ashes, than submit to the rule of an upstart vagabond.’[57]